B.J. Upton
Rays Send Red Sox a Message With 9-1 Win
Tuesday, October 14th, 2008 | Sports | No Comments
The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox 9-1 in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series to take a 2-1 lead in the series. All but one of the Rays 9 runs came courtesy of home runs – B.J. Upton’s 3-run shot and Evan Longoria’s solo home run in the 3rd inning; Rocco Baldelli’s 3-run blast in the 8th inning; and Carlos Pena’s solo home run in the 9th inning. Rays starter Matt Garza was efficient, pitching 6 solid innings and giving up only 1 earned run on 6 hits and 3 walks. Garza struck out 5 Red Sox batters to earn the win. Red Sox starter Jon Lester, on the other hand, never found his groove. After not giving up a single earned run in his previous two 2008 post-season starts, Lester was tagged for 4 earned runs in only 5 1/3 innings of work. He gave up 8 hits – including 2 home runs in the 3rd inning – and walked 2 while striking out 7. Dustin Pedroia and Mark Kotsay were the only 2 bright spots for the Red Sox hitters – each player had 2 hits.
Game 4 of the ALCS is on Tuesday, October 14th at 8:07 EST. The Rays will throw Andy Sonnanstine, while the Red Sox will counter with veteran Tim Wakefield. Not wanting to fall behind 3-1 to the Rays, the game almost takes on a “must-win” feel for the Red Sox.
Tied 1-1, Red Sox Rays Resume ALCS Tonight @ Fenway Park
Monday, October 13th, 2008 | Sports | No Comments
The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays will play Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at 4:35PM EST on Monday, October 13th at Fenway Park in Boston. The Rays will throw 11-game winner Matt Garza, while the Red Sox will counter with ace Jon Lester. Lester helped pitch the Red Sox to victory in the ALDS over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim with 2 dominating starts in which he did not allow an earned run.
In Game 1 of the ALCS, Daisuke Matsuzaka led the Red Sox over the Rays in a tense 2-0 battle. Matsuzaka had a no-hitter through 6 innings and worked out of a difficult 1st and 3rd, no out jam in the 7th inning by inducing a flyout, strikeout and groundout to keep the Rays off the scoreboard. Matsuzaka ended up pitching into the 8th inning before being relieved with runners on the corners and no one out. Boston Reliever Hideki Okajima forced Carlos Pena into a harmless flyout to right field and then Boston reliver John Masterson induced an inning-ending double-play from Evan Longoria that stymied the threat – for the 2nd straight inning the Rays failed to score a run after having 1st and 3rd and no one out. Jonathan Papelbon worked a perfect 9th inning to pick up the save and seal the 1-0 series lead for the Red Sox. The Red Sox scored a run on a sacrafice fly by Jared Lowrie in the 5th inning and on an RBI-double by Kevin Youkilis in the 8th inning that glanced off the glove of a diving Carl Crawford in left field. Rays starter James Shields pitched a solid ballgame – going 7 1/3 innings and only giving up 6 hits and 2 walks.
Game 2 of the ALCS proved to be more of a slugfest than a pitching duel. Red Sox starter Josh Beckett lasted only 4 1/3 innings, giving up 8 earned runs on 9 hits and 1 walk. Rays starter Scott Kazmir also pitched only 4 1/3 innings, giving up 5 earned runs on 6 hits and 3 walks. For the Red Sox, Duston Pedroia had 3 hits, including 2 solo home runs; Kevin Youkilis had 3 hits including a solo home run; and Jason Bay had 3 hits including a 2-RBI double in the 1st inning and a solo home run in the 5th inning. For the Rays, Evan Longoria had 2 doubles and a 2-run home run, driving in a total of 3 runs. Carlos Pena and Carl Crawford each had 2 hits, while B.J. Upton and Cliff Floyd each hit solo home runs off of Beckett. The Rays won the game in 11th inning on a sacrafice fly from B.J. Upton off Red Sox reliever Mike Timlin. Fernando Perez scored just ahead of the throw by right fielder J.D. Drew allowing the Rays to even up the series at 1 game each. David Price picked up his 1st career post-season victory by pitching 2/3 of the 11th inning.
Sox ousted by Rays in NLDS Game 4
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 | Sports | No Comments
The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Chicago White Sox 6-2 on Monday 10/6 to clinch its first post-season series victory in franchise history. B.J. Upton set the tone for the Rays with solo home runs in each of the 1st and 3rd innings. The Rays tacked on 3 more runs in the 4th and 5th innings to extend the lead to 5-1. Rays starter Andy Sonnanstine did the rest as he pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing only 2 earned runs on 3 hits. Sonnanstine never really got into any serious trouble as he allowed solo home runs to Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye. Rays relievers J.P. Howell and Grant Balfour finished out the final 3 1/3 innings allowing only 2 base runners in the final 3 innings. White Sox starter Gavin Floyd never found his true form – he lasted only 3 innings, giving up 4 earned runs on 5 hits and 2 walks. The Rays magical season continues on as they will face the Boston Red Sox – their AL East pursuer – in the American League Championship Series set to begin on Friday, October 10th in Tampa Bay, Florida.
White Sox Avoid Sweep – ALDS Game 4 Set for Monday
Monday, October 6th, 2008 | Sports | No Comments
The Chicago White Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 to avoid a 3-game sweep on Sunday 10/5 in Chicago. John Danks pitched into the 7th inning giviing up 3 runs on 7 hits, while striking out 7 Rays batters. White Sox Relievers Octavio Dotel and Matt Thornton helped get the Sox into the 9th, where Bobby Jenks cleaned house allowing only one batter to reach in notching hist 1st save of the 2008 playoffs. The bottom-half of the White Sox order helped pace the Sox offensive attack – Ken Girffey, Jr. was 2 for 2 with a run scored; Dwayne Wise was 1 for 2 with 2 RBI’s and a run scored and Juan Uribe was 1 for 3 with an RBI. Rays Pitcher Matt Garza took the loss by giving up 5 runs in 6 innings of work – he gave up 7 hits, while walking 4 and striking out 4. B. J. Upton hit a 2-run hoem run for the Rays in the 7th inning to cut the Sox lead to 5-3, but they could never get closer than that.
ALDS Game 4 will be played on Monday 10/6 at 4PM in Chicago. The Rays will throw 137-game winner Andy Sonnanstine, while the White Sox will counter with 17-game winner Gavin Floyd.
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